Latest Growth Update

We had our bi-weekly ultrasound today. All looked very good. Alpha is still very much head down, so much so that they have trouble measuring the top of his noggin without MUCH discomfort for his mom. He is estimated at 4lbs,12oz, that's the 65th percentile. Omega is still stretched out in comfort across the top of my belly. She was making fish faces at us today and practicing her breathing. Very cute. She is estimated at 4lbs,7oz, which is the 51st percentile. I would have liked them to be a little bigger, but as long as they stay at or above that 50th percentile, I'll be content. They also measured my cervix at 1.4 cm, which is unchanged. We'll see if the doctor is pleased on Thursday. If we keep cookin' that long, we'll have another ultrasound in two weeks, although at this point, I feel like I'll be pregnant on Halloween!

Favorite Pregnancy Picture

So I had thought that the whole pregnancy period was going to be some sort of photographic cornucopia, but alas things have been so crazy that it really hasn't worked out that way. Between trips to the hospital, getting the nursery ready, and generally doing those things that are normally done by two people, the time and energy for photography really wasn't there. One brief respite was our trip home over the Fourth of July.

We went downtown to watch the end of the parade (we missed the Budweiser Clydesdales which apparently were the highlight) and decided to wait around for the fireworks. Because it's a good several hours between the end of the parade and the beginning of the fireworks, you have to pick up some food. The lines were tremendously long everywhere except at the donut booth and the dairy council trailer - and this fact pretty much made our choices for us (nutritious, I know). Anyway, I went for donuts and Lea went for a milkshake. The donut line being shorter, this provided me with an opportunity for a photo.



This is my favorite photo from this whole hectic period. It seems very calm, and innocent, and altogether pleasing. (Currently I'm a bit more enamored of this version which has been photoshopped to give it a cross-processed look.)

Anyway, I'm sure that once the little ones get here there'll be a lot more time for photography...

Quilt craziness

I wanted to show everyone the beautiful quilts that Michael's Aunt Sharon and his mom made for Alpha and Omega.


Lynn made this quilt called Space: Not Just for Boys Anymore. Michael really wanted to do the nursery in rockets and space because he wants the kids to love science and other nerdy stuff (as opposed to being a silly teacher or social worker or other nonsense). So, his mom made this beautiful quilt with planets and astronauts. Pretty cool.


Lynn also made this quilt called Country Kids. The fabric has chicks, lambs, and bunnies and was made for me. I wanted a farm nursery, but since I wasn't the one painting and doing all the work, I obviously lost that one. But, the quilt is beautiful.


Aunt Sharon made this Cat Quilt. Now, if I can only keep my cats off of it. The border is quilted with the word "Meow."


Another bright and cheery quilt made by Aunt Sharon. We had to promise to use and use and use these quilts instead of saving them. Will do.

Make-shift showers

Since I've had so many exciting adventures on this pregnancy (read: complications), I never made it to my shower that was planned for August. Thankfully my wonderful mother and mother-in-law were nice enough to collect shower gifts for me and bring them to me. It's not quite the same as a nice shower, but I felt loved anyway! I thought I'd share some pictures from the various present openings.



This BIG box was from the whole Clark family and is our Snap N' Go stroller frame. We decided to not get a big, double travel system. When the babies are big enough to sit up in a stroller, we're going to get a side-by-side so no one has to sit in the back.



This cute blanket was made by one of the ladies, Sheila Dewey, who works with Lynn. It's very heavy and warm.



Mary Mazzoni made two of these fleece sleep sacks for us. Her daughter also has twins, so she KNOWS what she's doing.



Mrs. Kathy and Jessie picked out these adorable fleece books. One is about a cat and one is about a penguin. I really like them.



Schmo helping.





Opening presents from my Grandma, aunts, and cousins. I had just gotten out of the hospital several hours before these pictures, so I am not my usual glamorous self.

As you can see, our babies are well loved already. We thank everyone so much for their generosity!